Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: Tomas Jurco played for the U-18 squad of HC Kosice. In 57 games, he scored 28 goals and added 24 assists for 52 points.

2008-09: Jurco spent most of the season with HC Kosics’s U-20 team, scoring 24 goals and adding 30 assists for 54 points in 51 games. He also played in 5 games for the U-18 squad, scoring 8 goals and adding 5 assists for 13 points. Jurco played for Slovakia at the 2009 U-18 World Junior Championship, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists for 5 points in 6 games. He was chosen in the first round, 4th overall, of the 2009 CHL Import Draft by the Saint John Sea Dogs.

2009-10: In his QMJHL rookie season, Jurco appeared in 64 games for the Sea Dogs. He scored 26 goals and added 25 assists for 51 points. In 21 playoff games, he scored 7 goals as added 10 assists for 17 points. Jurco was chosen in the sixth round, 141st overall, of the 2010 KHL Draft by Automobilist Ekaterinburg.

2010-11: In 60 games for the Sea Dogs, Jurco scored 31 goals and added 25 assists for 56 points. In 19 playoff games, he scored 6 goals and added 12 assists for 18 points. Jurco played for Slovakia at the 2011 U-20 World Junior Championship, scoring 1 goal in 6 games. Jurco played for Team Cherry at the 2011 CHL Home Hardware Top Prospects Game.

2011-12: Skating on one of the top lines in junior hockey for much of the season with Saint John, Jurco was the fourth-leading scorer for the Sea Dogs despite missing 20 games. Playing with 2011 first round picks Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida) and Zach Phillips (Minnesota) on the QMJHL champions, Jurco scored 30 goals with 38 assists and was plus-46 with 37 penalty minutes. The Sea Dogs finished with a league-high 103 points and lost just once in the QMJHL playoffs. Jurco scored 13 goals with 16 assists and was plus-24 with 12 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games. In the four Memorial Cup games he scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was minus-2 with 4 penalty minutes; Saint John was 2-2 in the tournament, losing to Shawinigan in the semifinals. Jurco was the leading scorer for sixth-place Slovakia at the 2012 U20 World Junior Championship, scoring 1 goal with 7 assists in five games and was plus-four with 4 penalty minutes.

2012-13: Jurco signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Red Wings in August 2012 and skated for Detroit AHL affiliate Grand Rapids in his first pro season. He scored 14 goals with 14 assists in 74 games and was +6 with 22 penalty minutes. The Griffins finished first in the Midwest Division and captured the Calder Cup championship. Jurco scored 8 goals with 6 assists in 24 playoff games and was +1 with 21 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

A dynamic scoring forward who is infamous for his highlight-reel shootout goals, Jurco is far from a one-trick pony. Displaying a willingness to drive to the net, he looks at times closer to a power forward than a pure sniper. With game-breaking ability, the question is whether the Slovakian can put it all together. His hands are incredible, but he needs to round out his game and show more consistency in his effort.

Future

Jurco proved that he belongs in the NHL in 2013-14. Whether he actually sticks on Detroit's NHL roster is a different story. Jurco is waiver exempt in 2014-15, which makes it possible that he could be returned to Grand Rapids and called up to Detroit on an as-needed basis. Regardless, Jurco will eventually play full-time on one of the top two lines in Detroit.

Photo: Buffalo Sabres prospect Mikhail Grigorenko, currently skating in the QMJHL for the Quebec Remparts, was ranked 21st in the Fall edition of the rankings but dropped to 31st in the Spring update (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

Photo: Abbotsford Heat forward and Calgary Flames prospect Corban Knight’s strong play from his final NCAA season has carried over into the early portion of the 2013-14 AHL season (courtesy of John Rivera/Icon SMI)

The American Hockey League’s Western Conference is approaching the end of the first quarter, and the wild, wild west is producing some dynamic offensive hockey players.

Photo: Calle Jarnkrok, playing in his first AHL season out of Sweden, joined a deep and talented pool of forwards developing with Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

It has been a gradual change, but most things associated with the Detroit Red Wings work that way. In a salary-cap constrained hockey landscape, Detroit can no longer simply outspend other franchises; Detroit knew this eight seasons ago and began to stockpile talent through the NHL Draft.